The Peerless Beauty of Master Su

The immortal seemed to still hear the man's roar echoing in her ears. With a slight bend of her slender fingers, she flicked her wrist, and a faint ink color transformed into agile fish, reducing all the puppets in the cellar to a handful of dust.

The girl looked at the old man who had fallen to the ground, his Heaven and Earth Qi drained, leaving only a skeleton, and whispered:

"The world is full of chaos and confusion, which I cannot possibly manage."

"What I seek is simply that this land of Shenzhou will not Honkai."

"As for the rest, we can only leave it to the people of this era to decide."

She paused for a moment after speaking, realizing that she had changed a lot recently.

In the past, questions posed by someone like Jiang Xiusheng would have been ignored; why would anyone answer them after the other party's death?

Fu Hua exists in a different dimension and framework than the people of this world.

Jiang Xiusheng cares about the nation, the country, and his family; his stance can probably only be based on these.

And what about her?

What ethnicity, country, or family one belongs to has absolutely nothing to do with it.

The Immortal Chi Yuan was the first disseminator of civilization on this land of Shenzhou. Her circumstances and position were beyond the comprehension of people today, which naturally led to many problems arising from her situation.

Fu Hua only views things from the perspective of the entire land of Shenzhou.

For her, whether it was the Great Song, the chaotic nomadic tribes on the periphery, or the Liao Dynasty here, they all shared one common identity.

That is, the people of Shenzhou.

Chi Yuan is an immortal, and can only be an immortal.

She cannot participate in the overall structure of this land, nor can she proactively offer help to the other side outside of its Honkai.

Because these are all part of the evolution of civilization, an indispensable link in the advancement of history.

Even if Dan Zhu and Cang Xuan were alive back then, they would still believe that this was the best course of action.

Because as long as one possesses human emotions, it cannot be guaranteed that absolute equality and impartiality will be maintained after participating in the overall situation of Shenzhou.

Once Fu Hua, who possesses a power far exceeding the tolerance of civilization, gradually loses this sense of equality, she will inevitably interfere with the progress of civilization.

At that time, the future of Shenzhou will be unpredictable.

Although it is still impossible to trace back now, at least in any case, this is the future that the people of this land themselves have decided.

She was nothing more than a remnant of the previous era, and all she could do was take it upon herself to cleanse the Honkai.

As for the rest, let others say what they want; what does it have to do with me?

Whether a person lives a mediocre life or becomes a king or general, their life will only last a few decades before turning into a handful of dust.

Therefore, they don't need to understand, nor are they required to understand.

Fu Hua was able to understand Jiang Xiusheng's thoughts from a lower perspective, to comprehend his sense of national duty, and to consider the rumors about the Immortal Chi Yuan that he had been exposed to since childhood. These rumors were not about foreign races, but only about the Han people. He used his innate knowledge as a logical framework, which ultimately led to his resentment.

This is the magnificence and magnanimity of the immortal; she was originally at the pinnacle of this primordial civilization.

But others couldn't understand Chi Yuan.

This was probably what Cang Xuan and Dan Zhu were worried about before they left.

Imagine someone walking alone through centuries, relentlessly eradicating Honkai, yet remaining misunderstood by the world. How lonely would that be? Just a moment's reflection is enough to grasp the weight and despair it entails.

Even if one is not completely crushed, one's emotions will be worn down to the point of being almost nonexistent.

In fact, Fu Hua in the previous week was already not much different from a mechanical tool that could only destroy the Honkai.

This is what is meant by wear and tear.

The passage of time cannot erase the near-infinite lifespan of Fusion Warrior, but it does make the number of those within them who are part of humanity increasingly rare.

In the end, even if the original Chi Immortal Chi Yuan, Fu Hua, still exists eternally in the world, can she truly be considered alive?

--It's nothing more than a remnant of something left in the world.

Xiao Xuan took the oil-paper umbrella and hugged it to her chest. Tilting her head, she looked at the person's profile, interrupting Fu Hua's thoughts, and asked:

"Immortal, Immortal, what is that treaty he mentioned?"

The immortal responded softly:

That was over a hundred years ago.

Xiao Xuan looked completely bewildered.

"Huh? Why does this bad guy seem like this only happened a few years ago? That's strange."

She answered:

"He's deeply entrenched in demonic possession, his memories are disordered, so this is to be expected."

The Alliance of Tanyuan was signed around 1005. She had heard about it occasionally when she traveled across the Shenzhou, but now it was 1110.

In Jiang Xiusheng's account, after extracting accurate and clear memories through Udu-dust, the only thing that was certain was that the Liao Kingdom's surprise attack force killed the families of Song Kingdom's rear generals, and that this was a recent event.

As for the others, they are already more than a century old in the grand scheme of things, for the lifespan of mortals.

After the old man became completely possessed by demons, all events related to the Liao Kingdom were stirred up in his consciousness like a hodgepodge. He pieced together events from memory without any order of priority, like a twisted dough stick, and regarded them as if they had just happened recently.

Jiang Xiusheng's previous arguments seemed reasonable and well-founded, but in reality, he was beyond medical help and had completely fallen into evil ways.

This is what it means to be possessed by a demon; a mortal's willpower is completely powerless to interfere with the chain reaction brought about by Honkai Energy eroding the body and brain.

An extreme personality, memory loss, short lifespan, and a shattered worldview—these negative effects are enough to completely destroy a once steadfast and extremely kind-hearted person.

From the perspective of the Immortal Chi Yuan, when a person is on the verge of irreversibly falling into demonic possession, it is no different from death.

Killing is for the purpose of protecting life; cutting off karma is not the same as killing a person.

The Jiang Xiusheng that Fu Hua killed was merely a distorted product of the traces of the real old man remaining in the world.

When your memories and your true self are controlled by demons, the you that remains in the world is nothing more than a skeleton.

That's why Chi Yuan was able to overcome the initial hurdle and maintain the seemingly indifferent and ruthless principle of "those who fall into demonic ways must be punished" for thousands of years without any psychological obstacles.

As for whether this is the correct answer?

For the young girl, the real answer is not important; being able to retain a sliver of humanity for this reason is already a great fortune.

Little Xuan darts about playfully around the immortal, the light scrolls fluttering in the night breeze. She blinks her azure eyes, her delicate face full of anticipation, and says:

"Now that the matter in Qingzhou is resolved, can we go back to the mountain?"

"Or you could go and see the bustling places of this era first, relax, and balance work and rest. That's the reasonable way to allocate time between slaying demons and living life."

"Look at you, you were practically a wooden doll before. You've gotten a bit better recently, but if you keep going like this, you might revert back to your old self anytime soon."

Fu Hua watched the little guy's chattering and unusually lively manner, a slight smile appearing on her lips. It seemed that her emotions, worn down to almost nothing after receiving that strange and uncertain memory, had been rekindled like a spark. She said softly:

"Let's not go back to Fuyun Temple yet."

"I used the Udu-dust to extract his memories. Recently, the Liao Kingdom did indeed send a team to kill the relatives and offspring of some military generals within the Song Kingdom."

"At that time, this person was so enraged that he lost the ability to think calmly, and afterwards, he became too deeply entangled in demonic possession to carefully investigate the underlying Karma."

The immortal analyzed:

Apart from Jiang Xiusheng, who relied on his superior martial arts skills, the other survivors were extremely few.

"If this were merely an external surprise attack, it shouldn't be able to accomplish something so precise."

"And moreover, there were no other survivors within that Capital City."

"I suspect there must be an inside agent lurking here, exchanging information with that army to make things so thorough."

Xiao Xuan blinked and said:

"So, what the immortal means is that the Liao Kingdom is so vast, instead of searching aimlessly, it's better to focus on tangible clues and go directly to the Capital City to use the Udu-dust to search, is that right?"

The immortal gazed in the direction of Bianjing, sensing a strange premonition within his heart and a slight tremor in Udu-dust. He understood that the real reason he was going to that region stemmed from this eerie intuition.

For some reason, ever since she received that memory, she always felt someone whispering in her ear, admonishing her that reaching that Capital City was more important than slaying demons and Shenzhou.

Even though no new memories resurfaced within the past week, a strange sense of urgency and restlessness still stirred within his calm mind, creating ripples that continued to rise and fall.

The reason why the Celestial Phenomenon that covered the entire Qingzhou was created was at least 50% due to this inexplicable state of mind.

Even so, the habits formed over thousands of years and the responsibilities that have become shackles still bind them.

Therefore, Fu Hua could only choose to go to the Capital City with peace of mind now that there were other reasons related to exorcising demons.

Now, a week has passed since Su Qing'an entered the brothel.

Just as the last Courtesan, Li Shishi, was gradually building a relationship with Xiao Su, the Immortal Chi Yuan, who was determined to eradicate demons and monsters, finally drew a little closer to his destined one...

At this moment, unaware of the reason, she did not directly state it, but simply said:

"Yes, once we find out who the key figures are, verify them one by one, and kill the instigator of this demonic possession, this matter will be considered resolved."

"At that time, we will return to Mount Taixu."

Xiao Xuan pursed her lips, somewhat disappointed, and said:

"Hey? Aren't you going to stay in the Capital City a little longer then?"

The girl paused, then reached out and tapped her forehead with her fingertip, her lips slightly parted, and she whispered:

"We'll see about that later."

The little girl seemed to understand the implied softening of the words, and twirled around in the air a few times while holding the oil-paper umbrella, cheering:

"Yay!"

"... I haven't agreed to anything yet, Xiao Xuan."

Tome of Cangxuan looked at the man's eyes and smiled happily, saying:

"I'm already happy as long as it's possible, Immortal, let's go!"

"Yes, let's go to the Great Song."

The sky was high and the clouds were light; the sun was shining brightly.

The season of late winter and early spring has passed, and the gradually softening temperatures signal that the harsh winter has completely faded away.

Looking down from a high vantage point, one can see that the Capital City did not have strictly defined commercial areas. Compared to the well-organized and clear structure of the original Tang Dynasty Chang'an city, the development of commerce and the formation of streets led to the disintegration of the capital's plan, making the layout more free and random.

At this moment, the streets are lined with stalls, offering a dazzling array of goods. Among the continuous stream of bustling restaurants, one place stands out like a crane among chickens.

The guests by the gate were all dressed in fine clothes and were either rich or noble. There were also "welcomeers" at the door who chatted with them familiarly.

If you look closely, you can clearly see four lanterns hanging under the eaves. A poem describes this scene beautifully.

Jade petals, cool and refreshing, embrace the verdant mist; in the chamomile grove, one can find a place for meditation.

The autumn fields are ripe with the fruits of wind and frost in the late autumn, and the lanterns serve as a testament to their beauty.

This lantern is modeled after a gardenia flower, taking its shape from the fruit. At that time, only brothels would hang this type of lantern, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it was the signboard of a high-class brothel.

Li Shishi's residence, Zhen'an Ward, was secretly located within this upscale restaurant. This place was mostly frequented by literati and scholars, and generally did not involve the shady dealings found in brothels. Instead, it was a place where talented and beautiful women performed.

The establishments that could be called brothels were far superior to the shady, dissolute alleyways; they were high-end venues for artistic pursuits.

Otherwise, His Majesty would not have been so inclined to travel incognito from the palace to such a place.

But at that time, in Zhen'an Ward, which was famous throughout the Capital City because of Li Shishi, the most eye-catching person was not this peerless Courtesan who was both talented and beautiful.

Instead, she was a girl sitting on a high building, playing the zither with her eyes lowered. Judging from her appearance, she was just over the age of fifteen. Her face was beautiful and refined, making her seem ordinary. The cool and detached feeling she conveyed when she lowered her eyes seemed to take people back to that deep winter when only the plum blossoms remained.

The person who dressed her seemed to understand this, deliberately using a light blue double-embroidered silk dress to accentuate her slender and elegant figure, while the bright color diluted her aloof temperament, instead creating a gentle atmosphere similar to light snow on a red stove.

The girl's snow-white beaded tassels trailed on the ground, and the intricately embroidered intertwined cloud patterns on her sky-green silk shirt exuded a simple yet luxurious beauty, yet also conveyed the lightness and gentleness of summer. Several warm stoves around her provided a bit of warmth, protecting her from the chill of early spring.

Her eyes were lowered, her eyelashes were thick and curled, and her pupils were deep and dark, yet they also contained a kind of innocent whiteness, which unconsciously gave her a gentle and mild temperament, and made her feel pure and transparent.

Before this courtesan was a priceless guqin, its surface covered with snake-belly crackle patterns, piled up like peaks, and its bottom surface with flowing water and ox-hair crackle patterns. The overall lines were beautiful and the craftsmanship was extremely exquisite, and the tone was ancient and ethereal.

--This was a gift from a scholar a few days ago.

The girl sat down on the upper floor, bowed politely, and with a light touch of her slender fingertips, she touched the surface of the zither. With a calm expression, the music suddenly began to play.

The music was melodious and gentle, like a mountain stream flowing gently, its charm flowing in. The superb technique, the rich emotion, and the beautiful tone surrounded the ears of the audience, and the influence of the Manas consciousness made them feel as if they had stepped into another real world.

Even if the person playing the zither doesn't bring out a single genuine emotion, this instinctive rendering can still evoke everyone's deepest memories, stir up the purest and most peaceful aspirations, and, in the brief lingering of the timbre, paint their own dreams in their hearts.

For a long, long time.

After the person in that seat had left, the lingering sound slowly dissipated.

The guests then spoke again, all expressing their amazement.

A scholar finished his wine and said softly:

"Master Su, you truly live up to your Master Su."

"The melody and score are clearly no different from the previous day, yet they still manage to evoke completely different emotions. Their skill is so superb that it is hard to find another master in the world who can compare to them."

"Truly—the place where Nuwa mended the sky with stones, the earth-shattering stones startling the autumn rain. In a dream, I entered the Sacred Mountain and taught the goddess, old fish leaping in the waves, lean dragons dancing. Like weeping and lamenting, both real and illusory."

Others genuinely echoed:

"Master Su is only of marriageable age, yet her beauty is already unparalleled. If a few more years pass, perhaps the Capital City will have another Courtesan like Li Shishi."

A wandering swordsman, with the air of someone about to charge into battle, sitting alone at a table drinking wine, couldn't help but shake his head and sigh:

"What a pity, what a pity."

"With such beauty and skill, she has fallen into prostitution at such a young age."

Some men have this kind of hobby—leading respectable women astray and persuading prostitutes to reform themselves.

While there are indeed genuinely virtuous people who feel truly sorry and lament this situation, there are still far more petty people in power in this world.

At this moment, a busybody interrupted the wandering swordsman's sigh and corrected him, saying:

"Brother, this must be your first time seeing Master Su in Zhen'an Ward."

"Did you know that this Master Su is different from the usual courtesans and Courtesan? She is a clean and free person."

"I've heard that she comes from an ancient martial arts sect that only accepts women, and the unique skills it teaches are related to playing the zither. Her visit to this place of pleasure is due to the sect's rules."

The wandering swordsman, intrigued, put down his wine cup and asked:

"Oh? What you're saying, sir, is something I truly don't know. Could you please elaborate and clear up my confusion?"

The man sat down opposite the wandering knight without any ceremony, picked up the wine pot on the table and filled his own cup, then said with a smile:

"This information was obtained from Great Master Li. Look at this outstanding person, Master Su; initially, no one in the room knew her background, which shows the authenticity of the information."

He took a sip of his drink and said in a low voice:

"I've heard that Master Su's sect can be traced back to the time of the Immortal Chi Yuan Emperor. They received superior martial arts from the Crimson Kite Immortal, making it extremely difficult to enter the sect. Not only must one master captivating zither skills comparable to those of gods and demons before reaching adulthood, but one must also cultivate a Clear Mirror, Still Water heart amidst the turbulent world."

The wandering swordsman, however, had read many folk tales and legends, and harbored a vague expectation, so he said:

"Oh, may I ask how one cultivates this mind Clear Mirror, Still Water?"

The busybody couldn't keep up the story any longer. He gave a mocking sneer and said:

"Don't even think about it."

"Master Su's zither playing can captivate the soul, and even kill."